Four-year-old Canadian Girl Pleads with the King of Belgium to Block His Country's New Euthanasia Law for Children

Montreal (ots/PRNewswire) -

As Belgium prepares to become the first country in the world to
enact a law permitting euthanasia for children, Jessica Saba, 4, of
Lachine, Quebec, Canada asks the King of Belgium to refuse to sign
the legislation.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140202/667550 )

"For the sake of the children, please do not sign the Euthanasia
Bill," Jessica pleads in the video released on February 2
[http://wp.me/p3DmFt-4Y ].

Jessica was born in Montreal, Canada in May 2009 with a severe
cardiac malformation: a completely blocked valve and underdeveloped
ventricle. She would have survived for only a few hours or days
without a series of cardiac interventions, which were performed at
Montreal's Children's Hospital. At six days, her valve was unblocked
and gradually her underdeveloped ventricle began to form. If Jessica
had been born in a country where pediatric euthanasia is permitted,
she might have been a candidate for euthanasia and her story would be
very different than the one in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4di7uSDkRYsHx8UL38LHvA

Millions of children are born each year with severe congenital
malformations. Like Jessica, many of them would be candidates for
euthanasia. If euthanasia is legalized in Belgium, there is a danger
the precedent could lead to the extension of pediatric euthanasia
worldwide. Currently in Quebec, the government is attempting to pass
its own euthanasia law, which is very similar to the law passed in
Belgium about 10 years ago. The Quebec Human Rights Commission is
recommending extension of euthanasia to children.

Dr Paul Saba, a family physician in Lachine, Quebec and the father
of Jessica, also makes a personal appeal to the King not to sign the
law extending euthanasia to Belgian children. He notes that
euthanasia started in Belgium for those suffering physically and now
has been expanded to those who are suffering mentally. It began with
adults and is now being extended to children.

He also argues that there is no need for anyone to suffer who has
excellent medical care. For those who are at the end of life, good
palliative care will stop all physical suffering. Those who claim
that family members have suffered at the end of life, did not witness
good palliative care being provided.

Jessica's mother Marisa shares the struggles and joys of Jessica
and warns that a pediatric euthanasia law might encourage parents of
sick or handicapped children "to give up too early." What parents and
children need is to be surrounded with love and support for life and
not euthanasia.

Jessica's older sister Eliana and brother John-Anthony also talk
about their sister.

A picture accompanying this release is available from the European
Pressphoto Agency (EPA). To view, go to http://www.epa.eu and log in
using Username: prnewswire and Password: guest01.

For further information:

Dr Paul Saba, +1-5148863447, pauljsaba@gmail.com
Marisa Cuciti Saba, +1-5142498541
Website: http://www.coalitionmd.org
Twitter: @CoalitionMD [http://twitter.com/coalitionmd ]
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4di7uSDkRYsHx8UL38LHvA

Photo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140202/667550

ots Originaltext: Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de